Creating bespoke wedding stationery and other handcrafted loveliness

Month: September 2017

Lovely Katherine & Peter spotted that I’d been a finalist at the EDP Wedding Awards and contacted me asking about my stationery for their upcoming wedding. After a good chat over e-mail they invited me to their home to see some examples and discuss ideas further…I even met their cat Watson.

They decided on a portrait for their main illustration and as they’re tying the knot in October, they wanted the designs to have an autumnal vibe with warm and rich jewel tones. Katherine shared a Pinterest link with me which was super helpful; it was full of inspiration and from here I was able to pick out certain tones and flowers to recreate.

To go with their wedding invitation, they wanted to include a details page which outlined all the ‘extra bits’ guests would need to know and a page for their tasty menu. One other key detail P&K asked for was to include Watson, chasing a mouse somewhere on the stationery.

I love the final pieces, there’s such a gorgeous cohesion and flow between them. They’re clean, fresh and I am really enjoying the main invite layout with the text detail. Overall, I’m very happy and I think those colours are just luscious.

I’m delighted to report that Peter & Katherine were pleased too and they left me this lovely review on my Facebook Page; reviews like this make everything worth it.

“Just wanted to thank Claire again for producing such beautiful and unique invitations for our wedding. We have had lots of compliments from friends and family with one friend yesterday saying they were her favourite invite of the year, which reminded me that I must leave this review! We really enjoyed working with Claire and thoroughly recommend! x”

I had a great time creating these designs and I wish Katherine and Peter all the best with the rest of their wedding plans. Here’s to a fabulous wedding day come October and a very happy future as a married couple.

If these bespoke designs have caught your eye and you’re in the market for some personal wedding stationery, then get in touch via hello@frogandpencil.com, I’d love to hear from you and chat weddings!

Here it goes, my attempt to provide you with regular content on the blog (self-five!) and as I mentioned before, there’s plenty that I want to share with you, so I will try to at least schedule a post every other Thursday. So, let’s start by going back to the beginning of summer…

As May came along, I drove up to the most beautiful Norfolk wedding venue, Hales Hall & The Great Barn, ready for a whopping 2 day styled photo shoot. Having gone to town on the stationery and knowing many of the other talented suppliers (including a bunch of my favourites!), I knew this was going to be an amazing shoot…all we needed was some better weather!

The brief wasn’t the norm for Frog & Pencil but I do love a challenge and more importantly, I embrace where these creative opportunities take my work. The shoot was the brain child of Amanda Steed, our talented Make Up Artist who transformed our gorgeous models. Her vision for these couple of days was to be natural, romantic, with a soft, nude & pinky pallet with fresh greenery and large blooms; you may be getting the sense that a stripped back Frog & Pencil design was needed.

I wanted to keep the stationery clean and by working around geometric shapes, it also offered a contemporary vibe (I’m loving all the geometric shapes that are everywhere right now, I certainly think this is a trend that’s going to stick around for 2018 weddings). I was also conscious that I wanted it to look like it was made by me, so without a quirky character or couple, this would have to shine through from the flowers. When I start a new project, I love to speak with the florist that’s involved to see what they may be using and I’ll incorporate some of those elements within my work to offer a lovely cohesion on the day. Here I’d like to introduce Kat from Ivy Floral Events. I found her awesome to work with because she’s so passionate and boy oh boy is this gal creative. Her brilliant van was packed with flowery goodness and it was so much fun watching her whip up a flower crown or a bouquet within a matter of minutes. We’re kinda spoilt in Norfolk for excellent florists and Kat is certainly one of them. Go check her out!

In the end, I created a whole collection for this shoot with the aim of being able to sell it to you lovely people. I’ll be turning it into a Semi-Bespoke Collection for couples and they can either choose from a few pieces or the whole lot. Keep an eye out on my Etsy shop for the launch of this new range. Pieces include:

Albeit windy (I now hate the wind…it doesn’t mix well with paper!), it was a gorgeous couple of days and we were able to create a couple of different looks to snap indoors and out. The models looked cracking, the dresses were beautiful, the styling was gorgeous, the cake was a beaut, the food was divine and Hales Hall offers a smorgasbord of locations to take photos. All geared up to be a cracker!

Before I unleash all the images, a little croak out to the other amazing suppliers I haven’t yet mentioned.

Oh how I love Janie & David from Bigphatphotos. These guys were the photographers and also a secondary creative driving force for the shoot. Such a pleasure to work with and I always learn something new. A firm Froggy favourite, so if you’re looking for a photographer for your big day, give these guys a bell.

Another Froggy pal, Lou from Lou Lou Loves Hire & Styling. This was the first time I’d worked on a shoot with Lou and it was great fun! She, like Kat, had a van load full of goodies (I’m getting van envy!) to spruce up the various locations. I’ve admitted before that I think styling is pretty hard, so I relish any chance to pick up some tips…I was even able to join in! What I really enjoyed from this was seeing how the little details echoed alongside my stationery, with the blooms and the geo lanterns, it really all came together beautifully. Lou is just lovely and very talented, so if you’re looking for someone to tart up your venue, she’s your gal! Not forgetting Grice & Foster who hired out a few pieces to us on the day to co-ordinate with the styling.

The queen of cakes was also with us and of course I’m talking about Emma from Buns of Fun Bakery. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Buns blows me away with her creations and styling. Uber creative and airs on the quirkier side, what’s not to love. This lady is one of my inspirations and her cakes are delicious to boot, so if you’re looking for sponges to wow your guests and delight your taste buds, then get in touch pronto.

A highlight from working on these shoots is being able to sample the food that’s created and it was such a treat to try dishes made by Lee Havers from 42 King Street. His food was so tasty and I can’t wait to book into his restaurant to try some more!

I mentioned Amanda above and working alongside her on the day was fellow Makeup Artist Kirsty Barton Grimley. Together they created natural, stunning looks so if you need someone to help you out on your big day, give them both a call.

The bridal dressed were provided by Serendipity Bridal & Pure Brides (love those gals!) and Willow & Pearl brought the lovely heather bridesmaid gowns. Each dress was so beautiful and worked perfectly with the styling. Check them all out if you’re hunting for that special dress.

Oh, and not forgetting the venue itself. Hales Hall and The Great Barn is breathtaking. With so many locations to choose from, you’re really spoilt for choice. The barn is magnificent, the endless grounds are breathtaking and the Hall is a stunner. There’s certainly something for everyone and with helpful and friendly staff, I’d certainly recommend a visit if you’re searching out your wedding venue.

Below are some of my favourites from the shoot credited to Bigphatphotos, enjoy!

…and a few behind the scenes snaps lifted from my phone.

I just want to say a huge thank you to Amanda & Janie for having me on board, I loved being involved and a part of the team! It was also fab to meet all the other suppliers and collaborate with you guys. Thanks for the fun!

I’m hoping to have the stationery collection live on my Etsy shop for October but if you’d like to chat about this range for your wedding day then drop me a message at hello@frogandpencil.com, I’d love to hear from you.

Was my last post really at the end of June!?! That is pretty terrible however things have been rather busy around here so I thought it was about time I gave you guys and update.

The big news is that the Bear and I bought our very first home! Yep, as of the end of July we became homeowners to the lovely little Lily Pad and we’re so delighted. We had to move out of my beloved Norwich but it’s only a 20 minute drive away, so it’s not too far, yay! Our new home even comes with a conservatory which is ideal for my studio and I even have a view of our cute garden.

With so much change going on, it’s naturally spread into other parts of our lives, especially Frog & Pencil. I have A LOT of plans for this little business however over the past several weeks they have become overwhelming and it makes my brain foggy. With autumn on our heels, it always signals a difficult time of the year for me personally which adds to the fuzziness. However, I’m keeping a check on how I’m feeling, making to do lists to keep proactive and organised and basically taking it one hop at a time. Does anyone else suffer from idea overload that kinda puts a spanner in the works? I’d love to know how you handle it, so please do comment below with any tried and tested tips, I’d really appreciate it.

One of my aims is to blog more frequently as there’s so much I want to share with you all; from commissions and styled photo shoots to tip-top wedding stationery advice and the odd personal post because it’s all about my Frog & Pencil journey after all. I’m going to set a particular day once or twice a month to upload posts full of exciting content and I’m hoping you’ll help me stick to a schedule.

In the meantime, I’ll keep you updated with how the Lily Pad progresses as we put our Frog & Bear stamp on the place.